第 28 页

"That's step one."

Turning her attention back to the book, she read on, " 'For a couple of hours the husband and wife'-we'll ignore that part-'should lovingly and enthusiastically exchange thoughts, hopes, and desires. Keeping their natures as is the bright sun, with not the smallest cloud intervening to darken their joy and happiness, they enter their chamber.' "

There was a moment of excruciating silence as Devonl stared at Stone Man. She was just beginning to get irritated when he broke into a hearty, booming laugh.

"That's it?" he said between laughs. "They enter their chamber?"

Devon tried not to smile, but it was impossible. His laughter sounded so warm, so wonderful.

Suddenly the absurdity of Dr. Cowan's advice hit her. She burst out laughing, told you the details were a bit sketchy."

He took the book. Setting it down on the table behind them, he swept her into his arms, holding her tight. Where she would have spoken he shut her up with dozens of slow, openmouthed kisses on her lashes, her cheeks, her lips, the tip of her nose.

"Dev," he drawled against her throat, "I know you're smarter than I am. But not about everything.

My mother had the most infamous brothel in New Orleans, and she saw to it that I lost my virginity early. If there's one thing I know it's sex."

"Really? Then you do know how it's done?"

"I may not know the 'right' way, but I damn sure know what feels good. And to my way of thinking, if it feels good it's right."

He pulled back, gazing down at her. There was humor in his eyes and something else. Something dark and burning almost ravenous. The heat of his stare made her heart hammer against her rib cage.

Suddenly she was afraid. In her innocence she'd dance along a cliff, thinking she could fly. But she couldn't, and it was a long, long fall. A fall that could shatter her soul.

"Devon?"

The rich timbre of his voice sent apprehension skittering down her rigid spine. Nervously she wet her lips. "Y-Yes?"

His hands cupped her face. The warm, familiar feel of his skin on hers slowed the erratic beating of her heart. She took a shallow, shuddering breath and looked up into his eyes.

The ravenous light was gone; it had been replaced by the warm glow of caring. "Do you trust me?" he said softly.

"Of course."

"Then let me love you. Tonight."

She swallowed hard. Oh, God...

"Dev?" The word was an aching caress, and it reminded Devon that she was not the only one afraid, not the only one vulnerable.

Her fear dissipated. This was what she wanted. He was what she wanted. Stone Man was her last hope, her last chance, and she wasn't going to ruin it all over some silly schoolgirl's fears.

"Yes, let's make love... tonight," she answered steadily.

He swept her into his arms and carried her to the bed, laying her down on the soft black fur of their blanket.

He hefted the heavy spruce partition that divided the large bed and leaned it against the main support post; then he crawled up onto the bed beside her. Propping himself up on one elbow, he stared down into her face.

"It will hurt some," he said quietly, pushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"H-Howmuch?"

"I don't know." He gave a dry laugh. "IVe never been with a virgin."

She lifted a hand to his face. He was afraid, she realized, as afraid as she. He may have had his share of sex, but he'd never made love before. She'd stake her life on it.

Perhaps a kiss would calm his nerves, as it had calmed her earlier. Shyly she snuggled closer. The long, hard length of his body fit perfectly against hers. Heat radiated between them, settling into the peaks and valleys of her body. She kissed him softly.

His hand slid over her shoulders and glided down her back, where it moved in liquid, comforting circles. His lips moved against hers tenderly, as if waiting for permission to do more.

She gave her consent by slipping her tongue into his mouth. He groaned at the contact and tightened his hold on her body. Their tongues twined together, moving in a dance as old as time itself.

He kissed her forever. Deep, wrenching kisses that left her breathless and hungry for more.

His hands started moving, slowly at first, and then faster. Then they were everywhere, touching and branding her body in places she'd never expected-her throat, her bottom, her breasts.

The buttons on her chemise gave way easily, and his hand slipped inside. His fingers felt hot and forbidden against her skin. One thumb brushed her nipple, coaxing the peak to hardness. Devon heard a low moan and then another. Goodness, the sound was coming from her! She blushed, thinking it couldn't be ladylike to make such noises. She was just about to ask him when his hand slid down her belly and pushed between her legs.

Her query died in a gasp. He urged her thighs apart, and like a wanton she responded, opening for his touch. His fingers slid through the curly triangle of hair, seeking out that most sensitive part of her body.

When he found it he stroked in a slow, circular rhythm.

Need sent her into a frenzy. Without thinking, she started fumbling with the buttons at his throat.

The moment her fingers touched the first button, Stone Man released his breath in a long, unsteady sigh.

Then in one quick movement he ripped his shirt from neck to waist and flung it across the room.

Their hot, damp bodies merged. At the contact Devon's tenuous control snapped. She didn't think; she couldn't. Her whole body was alive, her every hair standing on end.

The hand between her legs disappeared, leaving in its place a cold frustration. His fingers, still warm and wet from touching her, slid beneath her chemise. The moisture left a trail along her breasts, a trail that the cold air traced. She shivered.

"Let's get under the covers," he said.

Crawling underneath the fur and wool blankets, they undressed each other eagerly. Devon snuggled up to him. Bringing her hands to his chest, she explored the soft black hair, marveling at its texture.

He took hold of her wrists. "Wait."

She frowned at him. "But I want-"

"I know what you want," he said throatily. "Trust me." He eased her onto her back. Looming beside her, his naked body half in shadow, half lit by the soft golden glow of the lantern's light, he studied her.

She lay there, stiff and unmoving, her naked body stretched full-length on the white sheet, her eyes trained on his. She felt exposed and vulnerable... and more alive than she'd ever felt in her life. Her every nerve was tingling in anticipation of his touch.

He brushed the soft underside of her breast with his thumb. It was the only touching of their skin, and it felt like a brand on the coldness of her flesh. An uncontrollable shiver swept her body.

She felt the callused column of his finger inch upward toward her nipple. Her whole body tensed; her breathing stumbled.

The finger traced her aureole, teasing her, tormenting her. Her breath came in ragged gasps. "Please..."

He answered her, moving the pad of his finger to the sensitive peak of her breast. She gasped, involuntarily arching into his hand.

One stroke, then another; and then two fingers settled on the drawn peaks of her breasts-tugging, twirling, teasing. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on breathing. Oh, but it was difficult. The air in her lungs seemed to have vanished.

The hand on her breast slid down to her waist. A frown darted across her face, and she was just about to open her eyes when she felt it. His tongue! He licked her nipple once, then drew back.

The cold night air rushed in, sweeping across the wet, hardened tip. As the cold faded he took the nipple in his mouth again, this time suckling it softly, laving the tip with his tongue. Devon gasped at the sensation.

She arched toward him, her head thrown back into the pillows. Oh, God, it felt so good...

He took her in his arms, maneuvering her body until she was straddling his right leg. With his thigh pressed hard against the throbbing spot between her legs, he forced her to move: a slow, rotating rhythm that ground their bodies together.

A fire burst to life in her loins, and she didn't need any coaching to stoke it. She reacted instinctively.

Grinding her hips against his thigh, she moved in a dance all her own, rubbing, pushing, writhing-anything to assuage the excruciatingly sweet ache that pulsed from the epicenter of her body.

"God," she whimpered, "do something. It hurts..."

He rolled her beneath him. Shamelessly she opened her legs, welcoming the hot hardness of his flesh as it pressed against hers. Her knees came up, hugging his hips.

"Christ," he groaned, feeling her legs slide along his body. A shudder racked him. His control was stretched to the breaking point. Slowly, with a gentleness he'd never before possessed, he slid into the warm, wet sheath of her body.

He felt the evidence of her virginity and stopped.

"Don't stop," she moaned, raking his back with her fingernails. "Please..."

He gave one hard thrust and ripped the maidenhead apart. She cried out in pain.

He froze then started to pull out. "God, Dev, are you-"

Her hands clutched at his buttocks, holding him in place. "If you stop now, I'll never forgive you," she whispered.

He eased back inside, then stopped, waiting for her body to relax. After a few seconds his hips started moving, a slow, rotating grind against hers.

The fire returned, raged. They moved together. Faster and faster still. He thrust full inside her, then drew slowly back and thrust again.

She writhed against him, moaning his name over and over again, her face buried in the crook of his neck.

She could smell their passion; it smelled of sweat and wood smoke and lichen.

The throbbing between her legs intensified, turning into an almost painful burning. She moved faster, wanting- needing-something more. He matched her movements, « driving deeper and deeper into her body with each thrust. I Devon moaned. God, she thought, it can't go on like this. Something has to...

"God, Dev." Stone Man's harsh, raspy voice penetrated the haze surrounding her mind. "Let it happen."

What? she thought desperately. What? And then it happened. A harsh scream tore from her throat.

Her senses exploded, spiraling out of control in a thousand shards of white-hot light.

Stone Man plunged wildly into her. She closed her legs around him, clinging to his sweat-slicked body. His release, warm and wet, filled her. But it was the ragged whispering of her name that lodged in her heart.

For endless minutes they clung to each other. The sweet smells of lichen moss and spent passion surrounded them.

When Devon finally opened her eyes, she found Stone Man staring down at her. "Did I hurt you?"

The vulnerability in his face squeezed her heart. Too choked up to speak, she shook her head.

"Thank God." He started to pull away.

She clung to him. "Don't go."

He sagged against her, burying his face in the crook of her neck, holding her tightly. She brushed a damp tendril of hair out of his eyes and stroked the side of his face, hoping the gentleness of her touch would speak the words her mouth could not.

You belong with me, she thought.

If only she had the courage to speak the words aloud... But she didn't. If she said it, he'd run. Of that she had no doubt.

He'd never belonged anywhere, and years of isolation and alienation had taken their toll. Even now, in her arms, he couldn't believe he belonged.

Emotion swelled in her throat. God, she'd do anything to erase the pain in his soul.

Suddenly she knew why she'd wanted so desperately to be his lover. It had nothing to do with warmth or proximity or even with the fact that he was her last chance. She wanted it because she loved him.

Chapter Nineteen

I love you. The words burned in Devon's throat, aching to be spoken aloud.

She pressed her lips together. That sentence would send Stone Man screaming into the woods. He probably wouldn't stop running until he hit the coast. And then he'd jump in a boat.

It was too soon to speak. For now she'd have to content herself with feeling. "Stone Man-"

"Call me Cornelius," he interrupted softly. "I don't feel much like a stone man right now."

She stretched her naked body full against his. His arms slipped around her waist. Together they snuggled deeper inside their furry cocoon.

Devon looked into his eyes, as warm now as maple syrup, and completely forgot her train of thought. / love you. The words leapt into her mind again, and this time the need to speak was almost overpowering.

She averted her gaze quickly.

His finger brushed her chin, urging her to tilt her face up to his. A wave of longing swept through her as their gazes locked. Longing not of the body but of the soul. God, she wanted to touch every part of him, to know every part of him.

The thought reminded her of his confession about prison. She couldn't help wanting to ask him about it. But she wouldn't, she vowed; she wouldn't ask him. For once in her life she was going to keep quiet.

"Dev? What's the matter?"

"It's nothing," she said quickly, "nothing at all. I was just wondering about something. Nothing important."

He smiled. "I was hoping a good romp would addle you for a bit longer."

She smiled. "Romp? Couldn't you come up with a more... glamorous term?"

"Believe me, I could have chosen worse."

Her smile faded suddenly. She looked up at him earnestly. "Did we make love?"

He flinched, then sighed. Why couldn't she just let well enough alone? He didn't want to answer that question right now. He didn't even want to think about it.

"Cornelius?"

He forced a laugh. In the tent's quiet the sound was harsh and hard. "Did we ever."

Disappointment brought a lump to Devon's throat. She swallowed thickly and looked away. It was what she'd expected, of course. But still it hurt. Why couldn't he admit that what they'd shared was special?

She shouldn't have asked him. She knew better. Why couldn't she ever keep her thoughts to herself?

"Dev?" His voice was quiet, and it wrapped around her like rich velvet in the semidarkness, reminding her that even now, even in her aching silence, she had more than she'd ever dreamed of. She had his arms around her, and she had his love. Oh, he might not know he loved her, but she certainly knew it. For now, she told herself, that would have to be enough.